Randall Blaum Back From the Edge Film Blog

Werner Schedule in US and Canada

Namaste everyone,

Here is the schedule for Werner as he make his way back to his home. 

June 2, 2007 arrives LAX Bradley Terminal (Terminal B) at 9:30pm.  Everyone come to welcome him home.  Make signs and be there to share the joy.  Please arrive no later than 9:30pm and we will all be meeting on the lower level (arrivals) just out side the main doors to the lobby.

June 4 In New York for national media. (He may be there the 5th as well)

June 6 In Philadelphia for media in the morning
          Return to Toronto in the afternoon.  Time TBD, more info later

As soon as we have tied down the details, I'll put them here for you to see.  If you want to greet Werner in Toronto, please do so.  Again, when I have the arrival info, I'll post it here.

Be well-

Randall

         

Namaste from Namche

All:

Here is the last dispatch from the Alpine Ascents Team.  Everyone in doing well and rememeber, we need all of you to be at LAX at 9:30pm on June 2nd to welcome Werner home!!

Namaste one last time!
5/28/2007   

A big hello from sunny and green Namche Bazaar. It's around noon and people are out and about with shorts and flip flops on! Summertime has certainly come to the Khumbu.

Most of the team is here in Namche today after arriving yesterday from Pheriche. Various routes to Namche were taken by the team. Todd went over the Cho La into the Gokyo valley and spent 2 nights en route to Namche. He should show up in the next couple of hours here. Ellie, Amy Bullard, Tony, John and myself all took the high route out of Pangboche and came here via Phortse and the Mong La. Vern, Amy Beaton, James, Jeanne and Werner all came via the normal track through Tengboche. Everyone has gathered here waiting for Lakpa Rita and the rest of the staff in order to have a large final party tonight at the Panorama Lodge. We're all looking forward to a last night of dhal bhat, beer, chaang, tongba and off course music and dancing. It should be a hell of an ending. Unfortunately Firat and Bill had to high tail it out quickly and Jeanne left Namche this morning in order to catch her international flight home.

The past couple days everyone was been recapping the excitement of summit day and the difficulties of such a long and demanding expedition. It's been a great time of enjoyment through reliving it all from afar. The monsoon crept close a week or two ago and blanketed Namche Bazaar with rain. We showed up with perfect timing as the weather has turned nice and Namche is spring like with greenery everywhere. It's a spectacular time to be here spending our last couple of nights.

We had 21 members of our team on the summit on May 22nd. It's quite a number. Everyone is extremely happy with the success this year. It's been a special one. Every member of our team including our Sherpa came down from the summit healthly, safe and in good style. No need for rescues, help from outside or late night epics. That is the way it should be done. Unfortunately it doesn't always happen that way.

The day after we returned to BC from the summit, Lakpa Rita and I went back up the mountain to bring down the body of Pemba Doma who died in a fall on Lhotse. She was an important part of the Khumbu community and especially Namche Bazaar where she was from. She was a competent climber and fellow sponsored athlete with Lakpa Rita for Sherpa Adventure Gear. She was the first Nepali woman to summit Everest and return safely. A fairly common small slip in bad snow conditions ended tragically. Hundreds of Namche locals had gone to Tengboche Monastery to wait for her body to arrive via helicopter from BC in order to take part in her cremation and accompanying ceremony. From all accounts it was a touching and important ceremony for all. The Namche community returned yesterday afternoon en masse. Pemba Doma was a wonderful woman.

We're all thankful for our safety this season on the mountain as well as appreciative of the highs and lows of an expedition such as this. We will celebrate all of that tonight with our incredibly dedicated Sherpa staff. They are the heart of the expedition. Start the music!

We'll be in touch in another year...

all the best,

Werner Comes Home

Namaste everyone-

Werner and Griber will be home on June 2nd at about 9:30pm at LAX.  He will clear customs about 10:15pm.  We want to get as many people as possible to be there to greet them while we capture footage for the movie.  Also, Heshie, Werner's fiancee will be there as a suprise to Werner.

Let everyone you know that we will all meet at the arrivals level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at 9:30pm on Saturday the 2nd for the arrival of Wener.

I just got off the phone and they are heading down from Namche to Lulka.  All is well and they are ready to be home.

Good night and be well-

Randall

Namche Bazar and then the "Big Trek"

Namaste everyone,

I just spoke to Werner and the entire team is now in Namche Bazar for the day.  They will trek to Lukla tomorrow, which is just a hard day.  This will be the third day of trekking and you start out with hiking down a 60 degree slope for about 90 minutes. 

You then spend the rest of the day going up and down (about 1000 feet) the river banks and crossing the river about 7 times over suspension bridges that are longer than a football field. (That's me on one of the bridges and boy, are they long...)

We think Werner is now coming into LAX on the 2nd, but cannot confirm this.  As soon as I know, we'll get the word to you as we want everyone to meet Werner at LAX when he arrives.  He will then go directly to New York for additional media and then go to Toronto to meet the Canadian press.  And then, we'll let him sleep!!

Be well-

Randall

And They Came Down from the Mount

Namaste everyone,

This will be the ast update from the mountain as everyone in now descending.  We heard from Werner today and he is expected to arrive in the US the first part of June.  More deatails on the exact date as soon as we know it.

For the production, we are in high gear.  We have scheduled our east coast road trip and will be up an down the east coast a couple of times from June 17th through June 24th capturing footage of our experts and b-roll for the film.

We are also in the final stages of planning our west coast tour and our mid-US section of our experts tour.  We should be finished capturing the experts' interviews by the end of July and we will be going to Werner's home and to Toronto soon to capture some of the back story footage we need and some BTS (behind-the-scenes) footage we need for the DVD extras.

Yesterday we interviewed Tomas Nani, owner of EarthLight, and he was a gem.  His insights and thoughts will be commanding int he film.  We got a tour of his manfacturing plant (they make the best massage tables and chairs in the world) and that was very interesting and fun. (www.earthlite.com)

Below is the update from Amy, the last from basecamp.

Namaste-
Randall

Well this expedition has been busy right up to the end! Everyone is EXTREMELY happy as you can imagine. Yesterday after all members got down, we had a nice dinner with Champagne and wine in our tent and then went down for a small party with our fabulous Sherpas in their dining tent. We handed out tips to them for which they were very grateful and then proceeded to the glitter and dancing (including Nepali, Sherpa and Western) and drinking. Much fun was had by all and it was so nice to have time to enjoy getting to know all of them a little more.

Today Bill and Firat left for down valley and places beyond. Firat will be on a helicopter out of Pheriche tomorrow while Bill is heading for Lukla to catch a plane to Kathmandu to do some work for his foundation, Basic Health International, for about a week. He would also like to thank his foundation for all of their support on his Everest expedition. The rest of us were packing and getting ready to make the transition to home while quite a bit more activity was going on in the Khumbu Icefall. Our Sherpas were up at 5am to haul the last loads down from Camp One and were on their way down when a part of the upper Icefall collapsed below them. Dave and Lakpa were on their way up to retrieve Pemba Doma’s body which was on it’s way down from the Lhotse Face. Dave and Lakpa waited for a long time before a new way was found through the collapse and our loaded Sherpas were able to get through.

A great effort was made today to get the last loads safely down and it feels like a huge weight is lifted now with everyone safely down and nobody to go back up tomorrow. Dave and Lakpa made an incredible rescue of Pemba Doma today that included the entire Icefall and involving many lowerings, raisings, and 2 tyrolean traverses. They were assisted by some IMG Sherpas and team mates of Pemba as well as a few of the Icefall Doctors and others as they got lower. A helicopter took her body out after it was prepared for cremation at the heli pad. This makes two rescues in two days for Lakpa and it has been a very intense last 5 days for him! Lakpa Rita has got to be the strongest and strongest willed of anybody on this mountain and we are so honored to have him on our team!

Tomorrow morning we finish packing and head down to Pheriche and possibly a possee to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass. Our Sherpas will catch us up in Namche.
We are looking forward to warm temps, tee shirts and grass again!

Tashi Delek from our last night in Basecamp!
Amy

May 23 - Down to Camp 2

Hi Everyone... THIS IS TOP SECRET!!!

We are planning a surprise welcome party for Werner and Griber when they get to LAX (don't know the date yet).  We want to have over 100 people there with signs and banners welcoming them home.  Griber (the director of photography) will know about this as it will be filmed, Werner will not.  When Werner sees everyone, the crowd will then part and Werner will see Heshie (his fiancee) for the first time in two months.  It will be a great moment and we want all of you there if you can be.  More on the date and time as soon as I have it confirmed.  It will be covered by the news outlets in LA and we will be filming for the movie, and we need you to make it huge and wonderful for Werner and Griber.

Now for you Eastcosters....  We are having another party for Werner just outside Philadelphia on June 21st at 7:00pm.  I'll have more information on this soon, so that way everyone can come and celebrate Werner's success.

A personal note...
In this blog there has been much written about Werner, but I want to take this time to also thank everyone for your support of John Griber, our DP.  He had to do the same work as Werner to get to the top of Mount Everest.  He also had to do his job (film the whole thing) and make sure that we captured all of the moments on film of Werner's ascent.  He had to move faster, be ahead of the rest of team and carry much more weight than others (cameras, tapes, batteries, etc.)  The simple fact is that we would not have the movie if it were not for John.

John,  you may not read this for weeks, but I want you and the world to know that you are forever part of my life as a director and I consider you to be a good friend.  Thank you for your support, your openness, and your skill.  No matter what happened, you did the job required of you without complaint and with an eye to making our movie the best that it can be.  You are the superstar behind the camera and I thank you for your work and your friendship.

Namaste,
Randall

The daily update...
Hello there friends, family, and loved ones. This is one happy team. We have descended the mountain after a very successful summit day. We’re happy to be where the oxygen is a little bit thicker and the food is a little bit better. Looking around the dinner table tonight we have a lot of satisfaction on our faces. So we want to thank you very much for your prayers and your best wishes, they all seem to have come true. We have come down the Lhotse Face and only have one more little challenge, and that’s to descend the deadly Khumbu Icefall.

Todd would like to report that his camera fell down the Lhotse Face today, so he will not have his pictures to share (seems like his team mates could send him some). Sticky found a crevasse today. Fortunately John was on hand to pull her out after Firat belayed her, so she is still with our team. We’d also like to mention that the wonderful support from our sherpas made this all possible, without them we could not have climbed this mountain.

We’re all looking forward to getting home as soon as possible and seeing our loved ones, so please keep your fingers crossed for good weather in Lukla so we can fly out. One more person who really needs to be mentioned is our wonderful Camp 2 cook, Ang Tsering, the finest cook in the Western Cwm. Bill, the persistent one, made it to the summit by being slow and steady. We’d really like to give him a round of appreciation in the fact that he has been going from tent to tent making medical tent calls and keeping everybody healthy. Everybody is in good health, and we’re very happy that the good Lord has smiled upon us and blessed us with good weather, good sherpas, and good teamwork.

Thanks for all your support, and stay tuned for the further adventures of the ascent of Everest.
Vern Tejas at Camp 2

LATE BREAKING NEWS...
I just  received a call from Werner.  They are at base camp having fun, having champagne, and having a good sleep.  The ice fall was very dangerous on the way down, but everyone made it safely.  Five people from other teams had to be helped down and from I understand, four other people (not on our team) didn't make it and died.  Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

Werner is very tired and he said that the view from the top was beyond words.  He also said that the other six summits paled in comparison to Everest and that he had to push himself harder than he ever thought he could (I know this feeling well).  Griber was a superstar and Werner thought he was the best climber of the whole group, maybe even better than the guides!!

It was good to hear my friend's voice again.  I find that I miss Werner greatly and can't wait to see him.  Beyond the movie, Werner and I have come to be very close in our relationship and with the Everest experience as part of that relationship we have both seen each other's souls.  You can't hide who you really are on the mountain.  It is always revealed and the person I saw in Werner is one I want to know for the rest of my life.

Namaste-
Randall

Everyone's at Camp 2

The whole team is now at Camp 2 and doing well.  Here is the official report from the Liason Officers of the summits...

To: Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation
Kathmandu, Nepal

From: Alpine Ascents International 2007 Everest Expedtion 1st and 2nd
Everest Base Camp


I am happy to inform you of the success of the Alpine Ascents International
2007 Mt. Everest Expediton. The following members and sherpas reached the summit of Mt. Everest on May 22, 2007. They are climbing under two climbing
permits:
Arriving At summit at 7:10 am:
1. David C. Morton Expedition Leader Seattle, Washington, USA
2. James F. Ogilvie Member Edinburgh, Scotland,  UK
3. Jeanne Stawiecki Member Charlton, Massachusetts USA

Arriving at summit at 7:30 am:
4. Todd A. Macy Member San Francisco, California USA
5. Firat Eren Member Ankara, Turkey
6. John P. Griber Member Jackson, Wyoming    USA

Arriving at summit at 8:08 am:
7. Amy J. Beeton Member London, England     UK
8. Anthony C. King Member Wilmslow, Cheshire, England  UK
9. Werner J. Berger Member Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Arriving at summit at 11:36 am:
10. Vernon E. Tejas Leader, 1st Talkeetna, Alaska,  USA
11. William Hanlon Member Cochrane, Alberta, Canada

Note: Chewang Nima Sherpa this year has 15 summits of Everest, which is very close to the record of Apa Sherpa. Lakpa Rita Sherpa is one of the few international guides who works all over the world, including North America, South America and Antarctica. He summited Everest for the 10th time. Kami Rita Sherpa went to the summit for the 11th time. Tshering Dorjee and Nimgma Tshering both went to the summit for the 9th time.

Sincerely,
Narayan Acharya, Liaison Officer
Mukti Dhungana,  Liaison Officer

The Entire Team Summits!

More news from Alpine Ascents...

May 22  1:00pm
 

And here’s the second message everyone has been waiting for. I’ve just had word that the entire team except Vern, Bill, and Pa-Rita are back at the South Col. They are climbing into their tents and I suspect some of them are already asleep. I’ve also been told that the wind is picking up and blowing a lot more than it has in the last few days. So we’ll be standing by until we have news that Vern, Bill, and Pa-Rita are also safe back at Camp 4. I have also talked to Amy Bullard. She decided that her breathing would be better if she descended to Camp 2, and that is where she is now. She just had a nap, and will spend the night there before continuing on to Base Camp tomorrow. So she will be here to join our welcoming committee when the rest of the team comes to Base Camp the day after tomorrow.

WERNER SUMMITS!!!

8:08AM Third Team Summits!
 

Well the great news just keeps pouring in. Our third summit team has just made the top. The group has been actually split up a bit and the fourth team is still making their way. We also have other good news that sounds like Ellie has been able to get messages through so she should be sending in the summit recount in a little while.

But for now, we want to congratulate our third group! The third group has Amy Beeton, Tony King, Werner Berger, Fur Kancha, Nima Kancha, Gyelzen and our guide and sirdar: Lakpa Rita Sherpa. Congratulations to you all!!

We'll be waiting for one more last group to head up there.  It's Vern, Bill Hanlon and Pasang Rita. 

One more set of congratulations. 

Werner is Close to the Summit!!!

Here is the update fresh from the Alpine Ascents Corporate Office...

May 22nd 7:10am (Nepal Time) Summit!
 
We are happy to announce that part of the Alpine Ascents Everest team is standing on the summit and the rest of the group is not far behind. In the first summit team is our guide, Dave Morton, James Ogilivie, Jeanne Stawiecki, Chewang and Tshering. Congratulations to the them as they celebrate.

Following and should be up there soon is Amy Beeton, Tony King, Werner Berger, John Griber, Fur Kancha, Nima Kancha and Gyelzen. The final group with Vern and Lakpa and the rest of our summit team should be calling in again soon. We expect to hear from them very shortly for more details.

We are so excited as the good news keeps coming in.  More to follow. 


Namaste,
Randall